Air conditioned shoe



P 20, 1966 A. s. FARINELLO, JR 3,273,264

AIR CONDITIONED SHOE Filed Jan. 10, 1964 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,273,264 AllR CONDITIONED SHQE Anthony S. Farinelio, 51a, 2607 Ebbtide Lane, Dallas 24, Tex. Filed Jan. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 336,994 9 Claims. (Cl. 36-3) This invention relates generally to an air conditioned shoe and more particularly to a shoe provided with a directional and arch supporting air conditioning mecha nism which is power driven.

The majority of the prior known air conditioned shoes have been entirely mechanical, requiring actuation by movement of the wearer, as by walking. Many disadvantages are inherent in mechanical structures for actuating a shoe air conditioning mechanism. For instance, those prior articles which are actuated by a lever on the bottom of the shoe do not provide cushioning support during walking and do not allow for wear on the heel. Those prior articles which are actuated from the inside of the shoe are uncomfortable to the wearer, since the foot must press against the mechanism.

Other types of air conditioned shoes include the motor driven electrical type, which also presents several disadvantages. For instance, prior known motor type cannot provide a large amount of circulating air to the majority of the foot, since the fluid path is fixed. That is, while one portion of the foot may be aerated the other portion or portions may receive no circulation of air. Furthermore, such devices have included complicated structures which may require constant maintenance.

In all of these prior structures no structure is included for .aerating various portions of the foot by means of simple adjustment. Also, a great need exists for an arch support which may not only be adjustable but will be effective to support the entire arch of the foot.

It is therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide an air conditioned shoe with means for aerating the entire foot.

It is another object of this invention to provide an air conditioned shoe which is adjustable to allow circulation of air to various parts of the foot.

Another object of this invention is to provide an air conditioned shoe which includes an arch support which may be adjustable and which is controlled in its support by a fluid flow in the aerating process.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioned shoe having all the parts thereof disposed in a centralized position.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will be more fully realized from the novel structure thereof which includes a fan disposed in a chamber in the heel portion of a shoe, means for motivating the fan, and a second chamber in the shank portion of the shoe serially connected in a fluid path with the fan.

The invention, however, will be more fully realized and understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the invention showing a portion thereof in section to illustrate the air conditioning mechanism therein;

FIGURE 2 is a partial top view in section of the invention shown in FIGURE 1 FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken through the adjusting structure of the invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional side view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Like reference numerals throughout the various views of the drawings are intended to designate the same or similar structures.

With reference to the drawings in detail, there is shown therein a shoe 10 including a toe portion 12, a shank portion 14, and a heel portion 16. A foot covering portion 18 of shoe 10 includes a plurality of holes 20 in the heel and toe portion thereof. A sole 22 provides a bottom covering and wearing surface for the toe portion and a heel 24 provides the wearing structure for the heel portion 16. An innersole 26 is disposed along the inside bottom of the shoe. A hollow chamber 28 is disposed in heel portion 16 between innersole 26 and heel 24.

Disposed in chamber 28 adjacent a front wall thereof is a fan 30. A motor 32 is connected for rotating fan 30 and a battery pack 34 is connected through a switch 36 to the motor. Switch 36 includes a push button 38 for actuation thereof which extending through the back wall of chamber 28. Push button 38 may be located in the inner sole of the heel portion, if desired, to provide actuation to the switch upon insertion of the foot into the shoe.

Battery pack 34 is secured to an upper surface of heel 24 by a clip 40; however, this structure may also be secured to the upper wall of chamber 28. Fan 30 and motor 32 are secured to the front wall of chamber 28. An outlet of fan 30 extends through the front wall and provides a fluid path therethrou-gh. Access to chamber 28 and the air conditioning mechanism therein is achieved by removal of heel 24. The heel is secured to the front, side, and back walls of chamber 28 by countersunk screws therein. When access is required for replacement of battery pack 34, the screws are removed from the heel and the battery pack exposed thereon.

A flexible tube 44 is connected to the outlet of flange 30 and includes a threaded member 46 at one end thereof. The threaded member includes a pair of sliding edges disposed on upper and lower sides thereof. A second chamber 48, provided by the innersole and bottom wall 50, provides a housing for flexible tube 44. A pair of slotted members 52 are disposed one in the innersole and one in bottom wall St) for receiving the sliding edges of member 46 for lateral sliding movement therein. Threaded member 46 includes a hole 54 for receiving the outlet end of flexible tube 44.

A threaded shank 56 extends through one side of the shoe and is mounted at another side thereof on a bearing mounting 58. The one end of the shank extending through the side of the shoe includes an adjusting knob 60 which may be manipulated or turned by the hand, with or without the use of a small coin or screwdriver. Shank 56 extends through and threadably engages mem ber 46 for providing the lateral sliding movement thereto upon turning of knob 60. The sliding movement provides positioning of the outlet end of flexible tube 44 along the width of the shoe.

A fluid path, therefore, is provided into holes 20 in heel portion 16 and through a hole 62 in the heel portion extending into chamber 28. Air drawn into chamber 28 passes through fan 30, outlet 42 and through tube 44 into the shank portion and toe portion of the shoe, and out through holes 20 therein. When it is desired to circulate air to a particular portion of the shoe, as for instance, the one side thereof, threaded shank 56 is turned in a direction to position tube 44 to that side of the shoe.

The embodiment of FIGURE 4 includes a plenum chamber 66 connected in fluid communication with the outlet of fan 30. This plenum chamber is provided between the sole 22 and inner sole 26. The inner sole at the plenum chamber is sufliciently flexible to allow slight expansion thereof onto the arch of a foot. As air is circulated into the shoe, the plenum chamber is slightly inflated, therefore, to provide arched support to the foot of the wearer. The fluid path, being restricted to flow 3 through the plenum chamber, provides an air cushion arch support.

The structures of FIGURES 1 and 4 may be combined to provide several novel and unique functions. For instance, an outlet 68 of fan 30 in FIGURE 4 may be adjustable across the width of the shoe to provide stronger support at various desired locations of the arch. Also, the plenum chamber structure may be included in the structure of FIGURES 1 to 3 to provide an adjustable fluid path and an air cushion arch support.

The principles of the invention explainedin connection with the specific exemplifications thereon will suggest many other applications and modifications of the same. It is accordingly desired that, in construing the breadth of the appended claims they shall not be limited to the specific details and description in connection with the exemplifications thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shoe including a heel, a shank, and a toe portion, an air conditioning mechanism comprising in combination, a hollow chamber in the heel portion, a fan disposed in said chamber, means for motivation of said fan, means for controlling the motivation means of said fan disposed in said chamber, a second chamber connected by a flexible tube in series with said heel chamber and disposed in the shank portion and in supporting relationship therewith, a tube connected to said fan and disposed in said second chamber, and a fluid path extending from the heel portion, through said fan and tube, to the toe portion.

2. In a shoe including a heel, a shank, and a toe portion, an air conditioning mechanism comprising in combination, a hollow chamber in the heel portion, a fan disposed in said chamber, means for motivation of said fan, means for controlling the motivation means of said fan disposed in said chamber, a flexible tube connected in fluid communication with said fan at one end thereof, and means for adjustably positioning the other end of said tube across the width of the shoe, said fan and the tube disposed in a fluid path between the heel and the toe portion.

3. In a shoe including a heel, a shank, and a toe portion, an air conditioning mechanism comprising in combination, a hollow chamber in the heel portion, a fan disposed in said chamber, means for motivating said fan disposed in said chamber, a plenum chamber in series by a flexible tube with said heel chamber and disposed in the shank portion in supporting relationship therewith, said fan connected at a discharge end thereof with said plenum chamber, and a fluid path extending from 4i the heel portion, through said fan and plenum chamber, to the toe portion.

4. In a shoe including a heel, a shank, and a toe portion, an air conditioning mechanism comprising in combination, a hollow chamber in the heel portion, a fan disposed in said chamber, means disposed in said chamber for motivating said fan, a plenum chamber in series by a flexible tube with a discharge end of said fan dis posed in the shank portion, said plenum chamber disposed for providing support in the shank portion upon motivation of said fan, and a fluid path extending from the heel portion, through said fan and plenum chamber, to the toe portion.

5. In a shoe including a heel, a shank, and a toe portion, an air conditioning mechanism comprising in combination, a hollow chamber in the heel portion, a fan disposed in said chamber, means disposed in said chamber for motivating said fan, a second chamber serially connected with said hollow chamber, a flexible tube disposed in said second chamber and in fluid communication with said fan at one end thereof, and means for adjustably positioning the other end of said tube across the width of the shoe, and a fluid path extending from the heel portion, through said fan and tube, to the toe portion.

6. The air conditioning mechanism of claim 5 wherein said motivating means includes a motor connected to said fan and a battery in electrical circuit with said motor.

7. The air conditioning mechanism of claim 6 wherein said motivating means includes a switch disposed in electrical circuit between said motor and said battery.

8. The air conditioning mechanism of claim 5 wherein said positioning means includes a threaded shank engaging the one end of said tube.

9. The air conditioning mechanism of claim 5 wherein said positioning means includes a threaded shank having one end extending from a side of the shoe, a head secured to the one end of said shank, and a threaded member secured to the one end of said tube and engaging said shank.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,225,455 5/ 1917 Marabini 36-3 2,442,026 5/ 1948 Thompson 363 3,048,931 8/ 1962 Farinello 363 FOREIGN PATENTS 600,611 7/ 1934 Germany.

0 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SHOE INCLUDING A HEEL, A SHANK, AND A TOE PORTION, AN AIR CONDITIONING MECHANISM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A HOLLOW CHAMBER IN THE HEEL PORTION, A FAN DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER, MEANS FOR MOTIVATION OF SAID FAN, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MOTIVATION MEANS OF SAID FAN DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER, A SECOND CHAMBER CONNECTED BY A FLEXIBLE TUBE IN SERIES WITH SAID HEEL CHAMBER 